Esther Martin, formerly of Canterbury Hills, died on March 18, 2026, at Cokesbury Village in Hockessin at the age of 100. Born in Riverside, NJ, to Mildred L Comins and Robert L Coffin, she grew up in North Amherst, MA. A chemistry graduate of the University of Massachusetts, she obtained a master’s degree from Mount Holyoke and was a research associate at Amherst College before moving to Wilmington to take a position as a chemist at Hercules Inc. It was there she met her husband of 59 years, Arthur F. Martin, who predeceased her. Esther is survived by her three children, Andrea (Doug Albertson) of Avondale, PA, David of E Hartford, CT, and Cynthia, of Wilmington, in addition to her brother, Stewart Coffin, of Lincoln, MA and five nieces, a nephew and their families.
Esther was a Master Gardener and an accredited flower show judge. She judged design and horticulture classes at local and regional shows and at the Philadelphia Flower Show. She was a founding member of the Country Hills Garden Club, chaired the Delaware State Flower Show, was President of the Delaware Federation of Garden Clubs, and served on the National Council of the National Federation of Garden Clubs. In the latter capacity, she traveled extensively throughout the US and Canada. Esther was also a founding member of the Diamond State Iris Society and was a member of the Daylily and Orchid Societies. She was a charter member and board member of the Delaware Center for Horticulture. Esther served on the board of the Delaware Nature Society, formerly the Delaware Nature Education Society, and was one of their first volunteers. Esther served as a Staff Horticulturalist at Winterthur Museum and Gardens, where she edited their plant catalog, answered the plant hot line, and gave seminars on plant care. She gave many talks to local garden clubs about orchids, edible plants, and flower arranging. Her home and gardens in Canterbury Hills were featured on several Wilmington Garden Day tours. The daughter of a renowned naturalist, she was well-known for her expertise in horticulture, ornithology, herpetology, and nature in general.
Esther was a member of the Hockessin United Methodist Church. For many years, she volunteered at the Wilmington Flower Market and the Wilmington Junior League Well Baby clinic. At Cokesbury Village, she served on the Grounds and Horticulture Committee and wrote monthly columns for the Courier newsletter. She was known as the “Flower Lady” for providing weekly fresh floral arrangements for the Cokesbury lobby. She and her Weimaraner, Paxton, made regular pet therapy visits to the health care wing. Esther also enjoyed many volunteer activities at Sanford School where her children attended.
Art and Esther were life members of the Wilmington Kennel Club and the Delaware Valley Weimaraner club. They bred many champion and obedience titled dogs under the kennel name Hoch Essen.
Esther was known for her sense of humor and adventure, and for sharing her love of science, poetry, cooking, baking, sewing, needlework, travel, fashion and birdwatching. She was an avid Phillies and Eagles fan. In Esther’s memory, donations may be made to the Delaware Nature Society, www.delawarenaturesociety.org, 3511 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE 19707. The family will hold a private memorial at a later date.
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